‘With piracy, we cannot pay for either rights or good translations,’ says publisher Hassan Yaghi. His Dar al-Tanweer has offices in three nations and sees the Arabic publishing world’s challenges well.
Ahead of LBF at IPA Congress: Many Publishers, Great and Small
Dichotomies of local and global, major and modest, resonated throughout the International Publishers Association’s 31st Congress, convened in the run-up to London Book Fair.
Egypt’s Hoopoe Takes Wing for the UK
With a mission to showcase literature from Arabic writers, the American University in Cairo Press has launched Hoopoe, a translation imprint for English-language consumers.
Egypt’s ALEF Bookstore Chain Opens Shop in London
Egyptian bookstore chain ALEF has opened a shop in London with the aim of promoting and spreading Arabic literature to an international audience of readers.
Ibrahim El Moallem of Egypt’s Shorouk Group Honored in Sharjah
In Sharjah this week, Ibrahim El Moallem, the founder and Chairman of Egypt’s Shorouk Group, was given a special award for his contributions to publishing.
Greek Mystic Turns the Voice of God Into a Bestseller
Vassula Rydén’s memoir, Heaven is Real But So is Hell, transcribes her encounters with God and is becoming a hit with 50k copies already sold in the US.
Ebookselling Innovation in the Arab World
Jordan’s EkTab and Egypt’s Kotobi are sell ebooks and print books online in the Middle East and Africa, where distribution poses a constant challenge.
MENA Offers Cultural Riches, Creative Wealth and Publishing Opportunity
Nathan Hull of Mofibo describes why he believes the Middle East and North Africa offer vast potential for publishers looking to expand internationally.
Cairo’s Kotob Khan Bookstore: A Literary Safe Place
Cairo’s Kotob Khan Bookstore does far more than merely sell books: it serves as a community center, a gathering place — and now it’s a publisher as well.
Distribution, Piracy Woes Still Challenge MENA Publishers
The military conflicts in Syria, Yemen and Iraq have cut into MENA publishers’ ability to sell and distribute books, while piracy remains a top concern.